Clasp for garment-supporters.



No. 730,389. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1903. B. P. OREWILER.

CLASP FOR GARMENT SUPPORTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED HA3. 7, 1902.

N0 MODEL;

a ve'wtoz No. 730,389. g v

UNITED STATES- iatented June 9, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. OREVVILER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR ,OF ONE-HALFTO GEORGE E. REINBERGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHlO.

. CLASP FOR GARMENT-SUPPORTERS.

srnorrr'onrron forming a of Letters Patent No. 730,389,'dated une 9,1903.

7 Application filed March 7, 1902. Serial No. 97,0?3. (N d l) To allwhom, 212% may concern..- 2

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OREWILER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ohicagofln the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have'inventeda new and useful Clasp for Garment-Supporters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel clasp for garment-supporters of thattype which embodies a suspending tape or tapes and one or more claspsfor effecting attachment'of the tape to a garment-as, for instance,'astocking. The clasps usually employedin con-nection with this class ofsupporters comprehenda loop member having a comparatively wide upper endand a narrow lower or button-rev ceiving end and a button memberincluding a button over which the fabric is placed and subsequentlysecured by drawing the shank of the button down into the narrow end ofthe loop. In the practical use of these clasps it was soon found thatdelicate fabrics were injured by their retention between the button andloop. To overcome this objection, several expedients have been resortedto, the most successfulbeing the provision of an expansible loop memberor the use of a rubber or other elastic or resilient button. Both ofthese expedients are more or less unsatisfactory; and the object of mypresent invention, therefore, is to produce an inexpensive claspembodying novel characteristics which render the use of either a dividedloop or a rubber or other similar button unnecessary and which,furthermore, will eiiect considerable saving of labor and material inthe attachment of the clasp to the tape. ,7

To the accomplishment of this object and others subordinate thereto theinvention comprehends the employment of a rigid loop member to which isdirectly secured a button member composed of a single piece ofspringwire which forms the button, a yielding shank therefor, andengaging devices for efiecting a sliding engagement between the buttonand loop member.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated severalembodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of one formof clasp, showing the button drawn down to effect the retention of thegarment. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the subject-matter, of Fig. 1,showing the button member in position to receive the garment andindicating in dotted lines the relative positions of the parts when thebutton-shank is being forced past the constricted throat of'the loopmember. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the subject-matter of Fig. 1,indicating in dotted lines the position of the garment and the openposition of the button member. Fig. 4.- is a detail perspective view ofa button member having-a protective covering. Fig. 5 is a rear elevationof a slightly different form of clasp. Fig. 6 is a front elevation ofstill another form in which. both the button and loop members are formedof wire. Fig; Tis a sectional view of the form of clasp shown in Fig. 6,but further illustrating the'manner in which, if de several views.

Having reference more particularly to that form of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 1,

2, 3,'and 4., 1 indicates the suspending-tape of the garment-supporterattached to the upper end of a loop member 2, provided with a transverseslot '3 at its upper extremity to facilitate the attachment of the tape.The loop member 2 is preferably struck or otherwise formed from sheetmetal, and its inner edge defines a longitudinal slot 4, which iswidened out at an intermediate point, asindicatcd at 5, for apurposetofbe' explained, and has a comparatively narr'ow'lower end 6,between which and the Wide portion 5 of the slot is formed a constrictedthroat 7, attention being called to the fact that the narrow lower endof the loop member or of the slot thereinis considerably wider than"the'throat 7. To the loop member thus formed is slidably at- 5 tached ahinged button member 8, preferably formed from a single piece of wireand comprising a spring-ring button 9, open at its lower side, as shown,and provided with a yielding shank formed by the shank members 10 and11, which are bent back from the ring-button 8 to form the shank and arethen extended upwardly substantially parallel with the button and witheach other to a point above the wide portion 5 of the slot 4. The buttonis preferably covered with rubber fabric or the like.

The sliding connection between the button and loop members may beeffected in a variety of ways; but by preference the upper ends of theshank members 10 and 11-that is to say, the ends thereof opposite theringbutton 8-are bent to form transversely-disposed eyes 12 and 13,which encircle longitudinal bars 14: and 15, constituting integral partsof the loop member. These bars 14 and 15 are preferably defined at theopposite edges of the member above the wide portion 5 by providing apair of longitudinal slots 16 and 17 at opposite sides of the slot 4. Itwill therefore appear that the longitudinal or sliding movement of thebutton member will be limited by the contact of the eyes with theopposite ends of the slots 16 and 17, and the parts are preferably sorelated that when the button member is in its lowest position the fabricengaged thereby will not be drawn down against the lower end of the loopmember. The eyes 12 and 13 are sufficiently larger than the bars 14 and15 to permit the button member to be swung back to the positionindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 when the member has been raisedsufficiently to bring the ring-button 8 opposite the wide portion 5 ofthe slot 4, through "which the button may pass freely.

In attaching the clasp to a stocking or other garment the buttonmember-is swung back to the dotted position indicated and the fabric islaid over the ringbutton. The button member is then swung toward theloop member, and the fabric-covered button is passed through theenlargement 5 of the'slot until further movement in this direction isstopped by the contact of the shank members 10 and 11 with the rear sideof the loop member. The button member is now moved downward until theshank of the button is presented to the opposite sides of theconstricted throat 7. The application of slight pressure will now causesufficient contraction of the shank or approach of the shank members topermit said shank to pass the throat and enter the somewhat largernarrow end 6 of the slot. The shank of the button will now expand to itsoriginal size; but as the downward movement of the button member will belimited by the contact of the eyes 12 and 13 with the lower ends of theslots 16 and 17 the fabric will not be drawn down against the lower endof the slot 4, and injury to the garment will therefore be prevented. Atthe same time it will be noted that the button and its shank having beenexpanded back to their original sizes the button member will now belocked in itsengaging position until sufficient pressure is exerted inan upward direction to again force the shank past the throat '7 when itis desired to release the garment.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly different form, comprehending themounting of the eyes 12 and 13 upon the inner bars 18 and 19, definedbetween the slot 4 and the slots 16 and 17, it being observed that thisvariation of the construction brings the eyes within the limits of theloop member instead of permitting them to project beyond the oppositesides thereof, as in the form first described.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown still another form of the invention. Inthis form the loop member 2 is made of a single continuous piece of wireand the eyes of the button member encircle the wire constituting thesides of the loop. The longitudinal movement of the button memberislimited by crimps 20 and 21, formed in the wire loop at such points aswill limit the movement-of the button memher just as effectively and forprecisely the same purpose as in the first form of the invention.

In Figs. 8 and 9 still a different form is shown, in which form,'as inthe form shown in Figs. 6 and 7, both the button and loop members areconstructed of wire; but the crimp 21 of Fig. 6 is eliminated and theupward movement of the button member is limited by contact with theupper end of the loop. It will be noted, however, that in each of theseforms of the invention we find a button member slidably mounted upon aloop member and capable of limited swinging movelnent. We also find aspring-ring button havingashank of greater widththan the constrictedthroat of the loop and means for limiting the longitudinal movement ofthe button member, so that the fabric clasped cannot be clamped againstthe lower end of the loop member to the injury of the garment. Each ofthese forms is thought at this time to be preferable for some particularclass of trade; but I wish to be distinctly understood as reserving tomyself the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variationsof the illustrated structure as may be comprehended within the scope ofthe protection prayed.

What I claim is- 1. In agarment-clasp, the combination with r a rigidloop member having a constricted throat intermediate of its ends, of abutton member having sliding engagement with the loop member, saidbutton member comprising a button, and a yielding shank of greater widththan the throat, whereby said shank is contracted by its passage throughsaidthroat.

2. In agarment-c1asp, the combination with a rigid loop member formedwith a constricted throat intermediate of its ends, of a but ton memberhaving sliding engagement with the loop member and comprising a buttonand a yielding shank therefor, said shank comprising a pair ofrelatively movable shank members designed to be pressed toward eachother by the opposite sides of the loop when said shank will becontracted against the resistance opposed to such contraction by theresiliency of the spring-ring button.

4. Inagarment-clasp, the combination with a loop member having aconstricted throat intermediate of its ends, of a button membercomprising a spring-ring button, and shank members formed with terminaleyes engaging 'portionsof the loop member, said shank 3 members beingbent to form a button-shank incapable of passing through the throat othe loop without contraction.

5. A garment-clasp comprising a loop member constricted at a pointintermediate of its ends to produce a slot having enlargements atopposite sides of a constricted throat, a button member having slidingengagement with the loop member and including a button capable ofpassing through one of the enlargements of the slot and a button-shankincapable of passing the throat of the loop member without contraction,and means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the button member.

6. In a garment-clasp, the combination with a loop member having aconstriction intermediate of its ends to define a slot havingenlargements at opposite sides of a constricted throat, of a buttonmember composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a spring-ringbutton open at one side, and shank members bent to form a yielding shankfor the button and provided with terminal eyes slidably engaging theloop member at points remote from the button, the shank being normallyof greater width than the throat, and shoulders formed on the loopmember and arranged to throat, of a button member formed from asinglepiece of spring-wire bent to form a spring-ring button open at its lowerside, and shank members bent from the open side of the button to form ayielding shank incapable in its normal condition of passing through theconstricted throat of the loop, said shank members being thence bentupwardly and having terminal eyes engaging the loop memher at pointsabove the upper enlargement of the slot, and shoulders for limiting thelongitudinal movement of the button member in opposite directions.

8. In a garment-clasp,the combination with a sheet-metal loop memberformed intermediate of its ends with a constricted throat and withparallel slots defining longitudinal bars, of a button member havingsliding engage ment with said bars and including a button cooperatingwith the loop member.

9. In a garment-clasp, the combination with a loop member stamped from asingle piece of metal, and formed with a transverse slot at one end andwith a pair of parallel longitudinal bars, of a button member includinga button and having sliding engagement with the longitudinal bars of thebutton member.

10. In a garment-clasp, the combination with a loop member struck from asingle piece of sheet metal and formed intermediate of its ends with aconstricted throat, at its upper end with a'transversetape-receivingslot, and below said slot with a pair of longitudinalslots defining longitudinal bars, of a button having relatively yieldingshank members formed with terminal eyes slidably engaging thelongitudinal bars of the loop member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OREWILER.

Witnesses:

G. H. Rnnvnnnonn, SADIE BARR.

